How to Host an Instagram Worthy Brunch

Babes, champagne and donuts - could there be any better combination?!

Last weekend I had the pleasure of hosting a few lovely ladies in my home for a little brunch, girl chat and to make some plans for our upcoming trip to Blogpodium next week! It was the first brunch I hosted in our new place and I'd say it was a success ;)

I thought I'd share a few little tips for hosting your own Instagram worthy brunch, so here we go!

1. Keep It Casual

We went for a really casual brunch feel - it wasn't fussy, it wasn't fancy but it was tasty, and it was fun and really, that's all that matters - right?! I placed all of the food on boards and in little dishes so serving was easy. Keeping the fruit in smaller dishes, and other items on boards that are easily accessible to everyone is not only good for insta-worthy photos but also makes serving simple.

2. Light Some Candles

Candle lit brunch? Why not! This goes for any meal setting but if you're lighting candles, keep them unscented. I just love the brass candle holders I picked up from Chapters so I try to use them as often as I can (evidence here). Light them up and enjoy a little ambiance, and by using unscented candles, you won't be adding any fragrances into the mix that might be weird with food. 

3. Bring On The Bubbly

My girl Erinn brought over some bubbles which was a welcome addition to the brunch lineup. We all laughed our asses off as she popped the cork and enjoyed sipping on grapefruit mimosas. Is it just me or does bubbly make any event feel fancy? Our girl Kristina is expecting so she had to nix the champs but we gave her an extra fancy glass so she'd feel extra special ;)

4. Have a variety of food to nibble on

To be honest, I wasn't totally sure what everyone would like/wouldn't like or what their food preferences were before coming over which isn't ideal when you're hosting but it does happen. In a perfect world we'd all know if our guests don't like mushrooms or if they can't stand strawberries or that sort of thing so if you can, try to find out before hand but if you don't - then have a variety of options out. We had broiled grapefruit, yoghurt and granola cups, tons of fruit and croissants and donuts on the ready which I figured would cover my bases so there would be a little something for everyone. On that note, if you know you have someone coming over who is say celiac or has a dairy allergy or something, your whole meal doesn't have to be catered to them but make sure you have something they can eat as well. 

Bonus tip: Have Donuts On Hand

No joke you guys, the donuts were the hit of the day. Because let's be honest, who doesn't love donuts?! Thank goodness for Kristina bringing these glazed goodies over- we all devoured them like savage beasts but that's what you're supposed to do, right?! lol

Ultimately, when you're hosting the aim is just for everyone to have fun. It's great to have gold cutlery and cute mugs and little dishes that look fabulous but in the end, people will remember the time they had rather than the dishes they ate off of. Good friends and great company are what's most important and we had that in spades last weekend. 

I love these ladies and am so excited to jet off to Toronto with them next week. Here's who I'll be blog partying with 

Marissa from Stream and Stone

I already briefly introduced Marissa here but this cutie has quickly become one of my favourite blogging gals in Edmonton. Today she's going to be talking about blogpodium from her perspective having never been, and the amazing female community we have here in Edmonton so go check it out!

Kristina from Inspired by Lynne

I love Kristina more than words can say. After attending blogpodium together last year, her and I have become very close as we both are interior designers and have seemingly similar tastes in everything! She's an absolute sweetheart and today she's going to be sharing how she's preparing for blogpodium this year as it's her second time going. Go read her post here! 

Justine from With Justine

I felt like I knew Justine long before I actually knew her. If you follow Justine already you'll know she seems like the biggest sweetheart and that's because she truly is. She's just about the sweetest most thoughtful girl I know and I'm so glad I've gotten to know her over the past few months. Today she's celebrating her one year bloggiversary (yay!) and talking about her plans attending her first blog conference so make sure to read her post here. 

Erinn from Shop the Skinny

Erinn is one of those people who you meet and you instantly love her. Her laugh is contagious and every time I see her I'm more and more inspired by her. She's the mother of 3 boys (a set of twins in there!) and runs Shop the Skinny, that sells childrens clothes that make them look cooler than you can ever hope to look yourself (true story). She's attending blogpodium this year to learn more about the blogging industry and grow more into the blogging community.

 

And just because, here's a few more photos of our morning. A huge thank you goes out to Sharon Litchfield who hung out with us and put up with our crazy antics that morning to take these stunning photos. Thank you thank you thank you Sharon - you're the best! <3 

PS over the next few days I'll be sharing how I'm preparing for Blog Podium for my second go around plus, why you need a tribe so stay tuned for those posts coming soon! XO